Christmas carol condom ad not offensive, says ASA

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A complaint about the "offensive" use of Christmas carol lyrics to promote condom use has been chucked out by the Advertising Standards Authority.

C da Silva complained to the authority that an AIDS Foundation "Love your Condom" poster emblazoned with lyrics from the Christian song "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" was offensive.

The O's in the lyrics had been replaced with images of condoms.

"I am not opposed to have (sic) ads about using condoms and I understand tongue and cheek ... but this is a bit much. I saw a poster on Ponsonby Rd this morning and I found it highly offensive."

The authority said the poster was clearly identifiable as an AIDS Foundation "Love your Condom" advertisement, and advocated an important public health message about safe sex and the reduction of HIV infection in New Zealand.

While some might have found the humour in bad taste, the poster did not reach the threshold of causing serious or widespread offence in the community, the authority found.

The advertisement met the required "due sense of social responsibility" and there was no apparent breach of the Advertising Codes.

The authority ruled there were no grounds to proceed.